to a gentleman, now living, affords the proof required. The fac simile of its seal, (given here with the verbal autographs) will not fail to satisfy the reader.

These facts, it is presumed, even though they were unsupported by a thousand collateral circumstances, would go far towards demonstrating, that DE LOLME was JUNIUS.

If the reader compare the autograph numbered 6, in Mr. G. Woodfall's edition, with the other fac similies of JUNIUS, he will perceive that JUNIUS was master of more than one handwriting. The autographs of De Lolme, (executed by the same engraver,) show that he possessed the same faculty. This leads us to a new species of proof, that De Lolme was JUNIUS.

A variety of manuscripts (specifications of mechanical inventions, law briefs, and other private papers) written by De Lolme, and left by him in the hands of the late Mrs. Spilsbury, when he last quitted England, exhibit very dissimilar samples of penmanship. Among these was found the original, or rough draught of a letter sent to Mr. Thelluson, (the late Lord Rendlesham) on the subject of a pamphlet which DE LOLME had been engaged to write in favor of that gentleman's patrimonial claims. This sketch appearing sufficiently assimilated with the general autographs of JUNIUS, I submit to the reader's judgment, the comparison of DE LOLME'S fac simile with the autographs of JUNIUS, by which it is accompanied, together with the following remarks; requesting him to keep in recollection, that as De Lolme's sketch was written nearly thirty years later than the private notes of JUNIUS, we can, at most, consider it but as containing the relics of a former hand; a hand long disused, except by accident, or in memorandums intended only for the writer's own closet.

The characters appear to be a mixture of those of Number 6, and Number 10, of Junius. We will, however, chiefly collate them with those of Number 10.

The circumstance common to De Lolme's manuscript and this of JUNIUS, that will first strike the Reader, will pro

A reference to this gentleman may be obtained from Mr. Sidney. + This original, Mr. Charles Spilsbury, No. 10, Dorington Street, Cold-Bath Fields, will have pleasure in shewing to any person who may wish to compare it with the impression here given.

bably be, that almost all the Y's are capitals,* the m's and n's also, of both writers, present analogous peculiarities. Not only do they almost uniformly begin with a firm, abrupt stem, unpreceded by any leading sweep, or arch, but the last descending strokes, instead of corresponding with, or forming parallels to, the previous ones, shoot forward with a precipitate obliquity. These letters, in the words Pamphlet, (DE LOLME, line 1,) more, than, and mentioned (line 2) the word next (line 3) morning (line 4) flattening, (line 5) may, and number (line 6) next (line 7) printer's (line 8) Pamphlet (line 12) than (line 13) than (line 15) much (line 17) number (line 19) and from—from (line 20) will be found to resemble, in one, or both, of the above features, the same letters as written in the words cannot (JUNIUS, No. 10, lines 1, 2,) come, Cavendishes, no, and end (line 2) family (line 3) arms, on (line 4) things (line 5) unless (line 6) opinion (line 9) nothing (line 10) am (line 12) may (line 11) same (line 15) and thing, communicate (line 16.) Another similarity between these exemplars will be observed in the small s's; most of which drop their latter portions below the general line, or range, of the other letters. Thus the word is (following the word Pamphlet, in the first line of DE LOLME) was, and advertisements, (line 2) wants (line 4) press (line 5) copies (line 6) sending (line 7) the name Spilsbury (line 8) yards (line 9) published, less, months, waste (line 13) was (line 15) present examples corresponding in this particular, with the words so (JUNIUS, No. 10, line 3) arms (line 4) things (line 5) else, unless (line 6) inquiries (line 7) as (line 13) convinces (in No. 6, line 1) publish, and guessed (line 2) must (line 3) assistance, and assured (line 4) assistance (line 6) points (line) does, us, and works (line 8) constantly (line 9) suffer (line 10) finished (line 12) and the name, Veridicus (line 13.)†

It having escaped the notice of the ingenious Editor of Mr. G. W.'s edition, that this particularity in Junius was a mere general habit of the author, he has scrupulously preserved all the capital Y's found in the manuscripts of the Dedication and Preface, as intentional distinctions.

The Reader, in his comparison of these examples, as seen in DE LOLME, and No. 6 of JUNIUS, will necessarily have noticed, that m's and n's resembling those in DE LOLME's draught, are as frequent in that autograph as in No. 10.

The next feature of relationship between the hand-writing of DE LOLME and that of JUNIUS, is of a compound description. While in the manuscript of the first, (consisting of twenty-two lines,) there are more than twenty examples of that verbal junction so peculiar to lawyers; and in No. 10 of the latter, (comprizing seventeen lines,) sixteen specimens of the same particularity, both writers occasionally extend this union to more than two consecutive words; and both connect them by curves, the freedom, form, and general air of which, seem to point out the same penman.*

The fac simile of De Lolme, placed immediately under Number 6 of JUNIUS, is taken from the margin of a Brief, (De Lolme versus Stockdale.) The head, or reference, by exhibiting him in the very act of consulting our law-books, shews us JUNIUS, searching for the authorities adduced in his elaborate Letter to Lord Mansfield, on the subject of bailing Eyre. The T, in the word Title, no less than the T's in Trover, beneath, (the first sample of which word is taken from the same brief, and the second from another,) will be found analogous, not only to the T's in the expression "The Truth," taken from No. 8 of the autographs in G. Woodfall's edition, but to the F, in the word For, in Number 6, line 7, as well as in the word Things, in Number 10, line 5, and in several other places in the engraved and unengraved MSS. of JUNIUS. The words assertion (from Number 8, line 15,) assured (from Number 6, line 4,) expressly (from Number 10, line 11,) are given to shew that JUNIUS sometimes, as well as DE LOLME, makes the first of two conjunctive s's, a long one. And the word, unless (from Number 10, line 6,) is adduced on account

*The Reader, while he views in these verbal combinations, a characteristic at once common to lawyers, and to JUNIUS and DE LOLME, will not fail to notice in both writers, the peculiar application of the technical term, fee. JUNIUS, in a private note to his friend Woodfall, assures him, that the volumes he requests, will "be the only fee he shall ever desire:" and DE LOLME, in a private Letter to his friend Thelluson, apprizes that Gentleman, that by having the books of him [the author] he will save the publisher's fees." Whether any person except a lawyer, and that lawyer a foreigner, would call a presentation of books, a fee, or the profits of a bookseller, fees, is left to the Reader's decision.

In pursuing such inquiries, I lie under a singular disadvantage. Not venturing to consult those who are qualified to inform me, I am forced to collect every thing from books or common conversation."

And in the eighth paragraph,

Though I use the terms of art, do not injure me so much as to suspect I am a lawyer."

Many passages in the public Letters of JUNIUS indicate that he was, or had been, a member of the legal community; but it is a fact of which we could scarcely have been so certain, but from the incessant solicitude he betrays to persuade us of the contrary.

The succeeding paragraph opens with a reply to a passage in the previous letter of Mr. Wilkes, in which he says to JUNIUS, "I now live very much at home, happy in the elegant society of a sensible daughter, whom JUNIUS has noticed in the most obliging manner."

The answer is,

"The domestic society you speak of, is much to be envied. I fancy I should like it better than you do."

From this alone we may collect, that JUNIUS was, at least, so far circumstanced like DE LOLME, as to live in a solitary, retired manner. He should like domestic society; by consequence, he was a stranger to its enjoyment. He envies Mr. Wilkes's family comforts; he could not more explicitly declare his own contrary situation. But he who possesses rank and fortune can command society. If he be a recluse, he is so by choice, and will not envy the man of social habits.

Mr. Wilkes, having expressed his regard for the personal character with which his imagination has invested JUNIUS, the retort (in the last paragraph of this letter) is,—

"I willingly accept of as much of your friendship as you can impart to a man whom you will assuredly never know. Besides every personal consideration, if I were known, I could no longer be an useful servant to the public."

This letter is dated September 18, 1771. When, in a note to Woodfall, bearing date November 10, 1771, Junius bribed him to his preservation of secrecy and good-faith, by saying, "Act honourably towards me, and at a proper time, you know me ;"*

shall

Woodfall did act honourably towards JUNIUS; but Junius was not equally punctilious.

It was impossible for him to conceive that, some day, both these declarations would stand confronted in print. JUNIUS, on a great occasion, is superior to the fear of falsehood; but the truth often suits him quite as well. When he says, that if he were known, he could no longer serve the public, he avails himself of the ambiguity proper to the oracular recess from which he speaks. The assertion might be scrupulously true, without meaning that JUNIUS was a foreigner; and that the discovery of such a fact would, indeed, instantly deprive him of his power to be any longer an useful servant to the British Public. His eighth Letter opens with the expression of his thanks to Mr. Wilkes for his offer of tickets to the ball on Lord Mayor's Day. He declines their acceptance, with the excuse, that his age and figuret would do but little credit to his partner.‡

In the second paragraph of the same communication, we find him saying to the patriot

"If I were only a party-man, I should naturally concur in any enterprize likely to create a bustle without risque or trouble to myself." That he was free from party spirit very clearly appears.. Standing, I may say, apart from us all, while he was assuming to be one of ourselves, he naturally looked with an impartial eye on all party-men, as such; and devoting to the English Constitution his whole regard, felt no cause of personal attachment, but what belonged to those whom he deemed its real friends and champions. Viewing in Mr. Wilkes, (at this time,) one of its most useful defenders, he says to him,—

* He was too well acquainted with our national prejudices, to believe that we would reverence the admonitions of a Swiss flamen, however orthodox, officiating at the shrine of English freedom.

His age was then about thirty-five; his figure Dr. Wolcot has described.

We are left to be surprized, that Mr. Wilkes, after having been solemnly assured that he would never know Junius, should indulge the expectation of seeing him at the Mansion House! A man of half Mr. Wilkes's politeness ought to have felt such an invitation to be interdicted, even though, not having seen the private notes of JUNIUS to Woodfall, it was impossible he should be aware that the necessary appearance might be, at that instant, beyond the pretensions of JUNIUS's wardrobe.